HELLOWEEN, RAGE, DESTRUCTION Members Appear On 20th Anniversary NUCLEAR BLAST Compilation

RAGE guitarist Victor Smolski is working on a compilation CD to celebrate Nuclear Blast Records' 20th anniversary. Smolski composed, recorded and produced about 10 songs for various metal artists that are part of the Nuclear Blast history, including a track that is being recorded and performed by his own band. He has issued the following update on the project via his official web site:

"It's a great honor for me working at a large contract, a compilation CD for the 20th anniversary of Nuclear Blast. It will be an album with 10 songs of various metal bands of Nuclear Blast history, inclusive a new RAGE song, for which I composed, produced and recorded all guitars, keyboards and bass. I got support by Andre Hilgers (drums) and Peavy Wagner (lyrics). Except some vocal parts, all songs were recorded at VPS studio in Hamm, where Charly Czajkovski again did a great job.

"During composing I tried, making all songs stylistic, and concerning the pitch of the voice, much comfortable for the singer (e.g. that Schmier [DESTRUCTION] sounds real 'schmierig') I didn't figured out, that, beside hearing out the different styles of the bands, the composing and arranging, I had lots of stress while doing clerical work as mailing and phoning. Thanks a lot to all singers for good cooperation. I think, this compilation CD is a real special and important project for Nuclear Blast. Special thanks also to Andy Siry, Jaap Wagemaker and Achim Köhler for support."

The details of the first five songs are as follows:

* Title: "Terrified"
Vocalist: Peavy Wagner (RAGE)

Victor: "Especially recording a new RAGE song together with Peavy was great fun. There are lots of fast double-bass parts, but also many groovy stuff and great melodies in chorus at 'Terrified', the title of the song. Again, I tuned down the guitars to 'C,' as I did at 'Straight To Hell'. The song really worked out well. The lyrics are describing an inner relief."

* Title: "Bloodsucker"
Vocalist: Schmier (DESTRUCTION)

Victor: "Real trashy number with 200 double-bass. The song deals with the current crisis in Iraq war and their causes (failed U.S. politics)."

* Title: "A Perfect Day"
Vocalist: Andy Deris (HELLOWEEN)

Victor: "Straight HELLOWEEN-style metal song with a catchy chorus. The song deals with the incalculability of life and the associated fact that our end can overtake us any time."

* Title: "Ruling the World"
Vocalist: Tony Kakko (SONATA ARCTICA)

Victor: "Straight metal number with several voices and and keyboard arrangements. The song is about the arrogant power politics of the western great powers."

* Title: "Eternally"
Vocalist: Oddleif Stensland (COMMUNIC)

Victor: "Very slow ballad — heavy and modern. It's about suicide. Too often, especially young people in crisis decide to end their life, without getting straight about the irreversibility of this act."

Check out pictures from the sessions at this location.